New Hampshire’s First ED Plan Focuses on the New Economy
Earlier this month Governor Jeanne Shaheen released New Hampshire in the New Economy: A Vision for Expanded Prosperity, the first-ever comprehensive economic development plan for the State of New Hampshire. The plan calls for New Hampshire state government to focus its activities toward encouraging innovation, strengthening education and workforce development, retaining and protecting the quality of life, and extending economic opportunity to every citizen in every part of the state.
State Legislative Round Up
With the start of the new year, a number of state legislatures are reconvening. Quite a few states have significant research, science, and technology issues on their legislative calendar, including the following:
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Christopher Hagen is serving as Nevada’s Science & Technology Advisor for the next 18 months. The position will be completely funded by Bechtel Nevada, Mr. Hagen’s employer of 22 years.
Headlines Reveal Incubators Remain Popular Tool for TBED
With the sustained depth of the recession, the IT crash, the rapid growth in unemployment and the speculative office construction craze of the late 1990s, one would expect office vacancies to climb and property lease rates to edge down in many cities. Following this thought further might suggest, with cheaper office space available, the need for publicly supported low-rent technology incubator space would decrease.
People and Organizational News
Nebraska Governor Mike Johanns has appointed Richard Baier as the state's first rural development director. Baier will work closely with the new Nebraska Rural Development Commission.
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The New Hampshire High Technology Council has announced Paul Houle is the new president and chief executive officer and Mary Collins will serve as executive vice president and chief operating officer.
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Carla Patterson is the new director of the Nebraska Manufacturing Extension Partnership.
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George Bald is returning to serve as Commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development. Bald served in the position from 1998-2004.
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Chuck Henderson has announced he will retire as president of the University of Nebraska's 130-acre Technology Park next June.
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Dan Curran is the new director of the Business Development Division of the Nebraska Department of Development.
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Sean O'Kane, commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development, is resigning from the position at the end of his two-year term in March to return to the private sector.
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Tim Rubald, interim executive director of the Nevada Commission on Economic Development, was appointed to the position on a permanent basis.
New Hampshire Lays Out Local Potential for Biotech
Besides supporting life science research in universities, one of the other key areas states and communities are using to encourage the growth of a local biotech industry is by supporting an increase in the availability of wet lab and other biotech facilities. Biotech space, however, is extremely expensive compared to other traditional tech incubator facilities for a variety of reasons (design, HVAC, environmental, security, regulatory, etc.)
Lincoln Charts TBED Strategy; Calls for Business Leadership
A wake-up call. That's what the final report of the Lincoln Technology Council said the city received after learning one of its top employers was expanding its operations in a nearby city instead of Lincoln because of perceived weaknesses in Lincoln's telecommunications infrastructure.
People in TBED
The University of Nebraska Technology Park has named Steve Frayser as president.
Broadband 'Master Plan' Unveiled for Rural New Hampshire
Broadband access is considered by most to be a key ingredient for encouraging innovation and building a local tech-based economy. Access for many rural areas, however, remains geographically or financially out of reach. Earlier this month, the New Hampshire Rural Development Council (NHRDC) unveiled a plan to change that for the businesses, government and individuals in the northern portion of the Granite State.
New Hampshire Creates $100M Fund to Spur Job Creation
An initiative aimed at creating 2,500 new jobs throughout New Hampshire will offer low-interest loans to companies who commit to creating new jobs or expanding their current employment base in the state.
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New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch announced he will nominate his deputy chief of staff and policy director, Michael Vlacich, to be the state's next director of economic development.
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Mark Rudin, the interim vice president for research and graduate dean at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, will become the vice president for research at Boise State University, effective Jan. 1.
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Stuart Arnett announced he will step down as the director of economic development in the New Hampshire Department of Economic Development and Resources, effective Aug. 1, to pursue work in private sector.
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Linda Fettig was named director of the Nebraska Rural Development Commission.
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David Archer is the new managing director for Nevada's Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology.
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Bob Shriver recently resigned as director of the Nevada Commission on Economic Development. Tim Rubald, the commission's director of business development, has been named interim director.
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Sean O'Kane, a hotel manager from Manchester, N.H., has been confirmed as the new commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development.
Biopharmaceutical Industry Forecasted to Strengthen State, U.S. Economy
The biopharmaceutical industry is poised to become an important source of economic growth in regions that are successful in nurturing it, according to a recent report from the Milken Institute. With so many states and communities focusing significant financial resources toward developing bio-based economies, the industry analysis is likely to be welcome news.